Hello, everyone

I'm expecting a baby next year. I'm living in Chiang Rai.

I want to have a natural birth.

Has anyone had a good natural birth experience in Chiang Rai ?

Any recommended hospital/clinic/doctor for natural birth in Chiang Rai?

Thank you!

By "natural birth" do you just mean a vaginal delivery as opposed to ceasearan or do you have other in mind?

To avoid unnecessary c-section, best approach is to avoid private hospitals. You will not have a c-section at a government hospital unless it is truly necessary whereas the private hospitals tend to aggressively push for it. however, there are some down sides to government hospital maternity services. They do not allow fathers in the delivery room and things like "rooming in" etc are also usually not possible.

There are a few hioghly recommended doctors in CM, including one at a private hospital who is pro-nature delivery, if there is any possiblility of your delivering there instead of CR.

I also suggest you contact Lori Rowe [email protected] She runs childbirth prep classes for expats in CM and while CM-based would be in a good position to advise on options in Chaung Rai as well as she is very knowledgable about delivery services in northern Thailand

By "natural birth" do you just mean a vaginal delivery as opposed to ceasearan or do you have other in mind?

To avoid unnecessary c-section, best approach is to avoid private hospitals. You will not have a c-section at a government hospital unless it is truly necessary whereas the private hospitals tend to aggressively push for it. however, there are some down sides to government hospital maternity services. They do not allow fathers in the delivery room and things like "rooming in" etc are also usually not possible.

There are a few hioghly recommended doctors in CM, including one at a private hospital who is pro-nature delivery, if there is any possiblility of your delivering there instead of CR.

I also suggest you contact Lori Rowe [email protected] She runs childbirth prep classes for expats in CM and while CM-based would be in a good position to advise on options in Chaung Rai as well as she is very knowledgable about delivery services in northern Thailand

Yes, by "natural birth", I mean a vaginal delivery with minimum manual intervention, no pain medication, no vaginal cut unless necessary. Also after birth, not separating the baby from mother for hours for observation and no formula for the baby.

It'd be great if there is some childbirth prep class for first time parents in CR.

Thank you for your info!

Pain meds you can always refuse (and not much offered in govt ghospitals anyhow).

Routine episiotomy though is difficult to avoid and in a government hospital you'll have no say. Likewise, in a government hospital they will separate mother and baby after delivery.

While in a private hospital, unless you have one of those rare (very rare) Thai doctors who are sensitive to this issue, you'll almost surely be pushed to have a c-section. I don't know of any such doctors in CR, in fact I only know of one or two in CM.

But see what Lori says as she knows the ob services in northern Thailand well.